Outdoor lighting fixture



Jan. 21, 1958 w. H. YETMAN OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Aug. 31, 1955 INVENTOR: l illiauflylwam BY 7 awx m a 8 I ww. w I E a 3 7.

3 m an 6 ax 3 OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURE William H. Ye tman, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 3l, l955, Serial No. 531,758

Claims. (Ci. 24o-s1.11

This invention relates generally to holders or supports and more particularly to fixtures for supporting long, tubular electric lights of the fluorescent and similar types. Specifically, the invention is concerned with a lighting fixture designed particularly for outdoor use in illuminating signs, advertising displays, etc.

Fluorescent lights employed for outdoor use are subjected to all types of weather conditions and it is well known that in such conventional fixtures the wires and connection points are more or less exposed. As a result, when rain enters the fixture it may contact exposed parts to short out the circuit.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to obviate the disadvantage of conventional outdoor lighting fixtures, as noted above, by providing an outdoor lighting which is so constructed that the wires and contact elements are shielded by waterproof end members arranged within the ends of the sheet-metal, inverted trough-shaped reflector.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture, of the character referred to, in which the end members consist of box-like aluminum castings, each having a fiat, horizontal top wall, a vertical end wall and vertical side walls, the end members being secured in place within the reflector with their various walls in contact with the corresponding top, end and side portions of the reflector. By this arrangement, the end members provide, in effect, hoods overlying the electric wires and the connector elements to which the ends of the fluorescent tubes are detachably joined, the end members thus covering the spot-welded joints between the upper, end and side portions of the reflector so as to shield the fixture socket assembly against rain which might leak into the structure at said points of joinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture in which each end member is fitted snugly into the ballast and wiring channel of the reflector, element and has a shelf or false bottom arranged intermediate its upper and lower ends, said shelf cooperating with a lug or rib at the lower end of the end wall in supporting the connector elements or sockets for the light tubes, a small clip on the shelf serving to retain the sockets in place within the recess defined by the shelf, end wall and rib.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure, of the class specified, in which the cast aluminum end members are held in place within the reflector by self-tapping screws passing through holes in the sides of the channel of the reflector and screwed into holes in the corresponding sides of the end members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure in which each end member has a hole in its end wall registering with a like hole in the end portion of the reflector and through which extends a threaded sleeve or the threaded end of an electric conduit, nuts screwed onto the sleeve providing a weather-proof connection for the electric wires. Also, by the use of similar sleeve con- "ice nections, the lighting fixtures may be joined, end to end,

to provide a fixture of any desired length.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and from the drawing which is intended forthe purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fluorescent lighting fixture embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of an end of the structure, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Hg. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the present improvements are shown as embodied in a lighting fixture which includes an inverted trough-shaped renector 10 having a relatively narrow top portion 11 and depending side portions 12, these portions together providing a channel in which a ballast means 13 and wiring 14 is iocated. From the lower ends of the side portions 12, the sheet metal flares downwardly and outwardly to provide angularlyrelated reflecting facets 15. Inc reflector 10 has end portions 16 which close the ends of the fixture, these end portions having cars 17 which are spot welded to the inner surfaces of the top and side portions of the reflector. the reflector as described above is conventional.

within the upper, end corners of the reflector 10 are end members 20. Each member 20 is preferably an aluminum casting having a top wall 21, side walls 22 and an end wall 23. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the top wall 21 fits against the top portion 11, the side walls 22 fit against the corresponding side portions 12 and the end wall 23 fits against the end portion 16 of the rellector, a sealing compound 24 being interposed between the contacting surfaces. Self-tapping screws 25 pass through holes in the side portions 12 and are tapped into blind holes in the side walls 22 to secure the end members 20 firmly in place (Fig. 4).

The end wall 21 of each end member 20 is provided with a hole 26 which registers with a like hole in the corresponding sheet metal end portion 16. A threaded coupling sleeve 28 passes through the aligned holes and nuts 29 and 30 are screwed thereon to secure the end wall 23 against the end portions 16 and to connect an electric conduit 29 to the fixture.

Wires 14 entering the fixture through the sleeve 28 extend to the ballast means 13 and to the lower portion of the end member 20 through a hole 33 formed in a false bottom or shelf 34 cast integrally with the side and end walls 22 and 23. The end wall 23 is provided with a transverse lug or rib 35 which defines, with the shelf 34, a recess for receiving a connector or socket element 36 to which the wiring 14 is connected in the usual manner. A small spring clip 37 carried by the shelf 34 engages the socket element 36 to retain the same in the recess. The socket element 36 has the usual spring contact fingers to which the prongs of the fluorescent tubes 38 are engaged as the tubes are rotated.

The lighting fixture assembly as described above provides a highly practical and efficient lighting unit for outdoor use. It is to be noted that the end members 20 are assembled snugly within the upper end portions of the reflector 10 and, because they are cemented in place by a sealing compound, they provide waterproof ends for the fixture. The end members thus provide a positive protection or shield for the wiring, sockets and tube prongs to guard against shorting of the circuit. This is an important improvement over conventional lighting fixtures wherein the various portions of the sheet-metal reflector wane v 3 Y m y "he ihihsd spot-welded, llQ llti which may p rmi leakage of rain water into the fixture to short the circuit. The and members, being constructed from aluminum,

,, .e Pa en ing an elongate ch nnel section having a flat horigontally sea ed, n har -i 1 ahdhahstaht ll verti al di ph e ide.P hqne.ahdh-h t rwhtlh ph h edt nd vernathe nd o the t l lllllfl; se nmeml m mb r d P ed wit i heefleet a t r lt et h r nd ach v n a re w y i hrw lhs ain t he..w t s oh ihatomside ahsleh P r ons e t fi tgt; m ans prrid hw er coffs e n.

id w l s and ara es; l hthhcls ts c r e by a d mem er 0. 0C.! with hth fmhs. f: h ll thereof hhadah ed t eh p t the end f the i ht n e, a h te o a d en heath n hayin 19 n its n ll.- e ter h t tha ike ale th adihs ht an P ahs. a e e 'atentlihaih t h h. aitlth e d n screwed onto said sleeve from the opposite ends thereofo, cng qsa d m mbe andw he, e ed nd p tio n adaptef to retain the sleeve in place saidsleeveproviding a cond t for electric: wires enterin the fixture and conducting current to the lightin tu hr' htinafih i'e con inu ing"lengthwisefwitliin. the reflector, said, reflector including an elongate sheetlmetal channel section having a. flat horizontally:disposed, top, portion, and laterally spaced vertically" disposed side portions and unitary vertically disposed sheetnnetal end portions. fiiicd to and overlying tne ends of the channel section unitary end mem' bers disposed Within the refiector' a t the ends thereof and, each having a flat horizontally, disposed top wall,

laterallytspaccd and vertically disposed sidewalls and a fiatvertically disposed end wall, the s'aid top, side and end: walls of the members beingengageahle against the corresponding top, side and end portions otthefreflector; a water-proofsealing compound between sa id walls and portions; light sockets carried by said end v walls of said membersto occur below the top wall and between the side walls thereof and adapted to support the ends of the lighting, tube, at least one ot said end members having a hole'in its end wall registering, with a like hole in the adjacent end portion; asleeve extending through said hol es; and nuts screwed onto said sleeve from, its opposite ends to engage the said wall and end portion h defiant i d; n ehda ll leh aa ah v ah a 1sec, in t troughshaped reiiector; at, least one lighting tube extendand adapted to retain the sleeve in place, said sleeve pro,- viding a conduit for electric wires enteringthe fin't ure' and conducting current to the lighting tube.

3. A lighting fixture, comprising: an elongate, inverted trough-shaped reflector; at least one lighting tube extending lengthwise within the reflector, said reflector including an. elongate sheet metal channel section having a flat horizontally disposed top portion and flat vertically disposed d. laterally. paced ,s dan rt on n i davertically disposed sheet metal end portions havinglongitudinally inwardly projecting top and side flanges fixed to the top n s? P. '-1 mm th :s ahne rs i n so ha s end portions overlietheends of the channel sections;

unitary end mernbers disposed "Within the reflector at the ends thereof and each having a flat horizontally disposed top wall, flat vertically disposed and laterally spaced side walls and flat vertically disposed end a ls, th te as deand mhwalh of h members being engagpable, agains the ch res hdi t t p, ide and-r nd ,1 pa i-t hh iof th hefl qthr, a water-em se l n ic pound between said walls and'portions, screw, fastening means engageid with and securing the end members and; the; reflector together; light sockets carried by, saidendmem:

bers within, the confines, of said 'top, side, and, end walls h e n, and ad p i dtt u phth end o the l ht n tube, at leastone of said, end mernbers having a hole n it end wa re i h i aw h a. l ho e n the dja ent, d ,n h a lew ext n in h o h; a d, h le n nuts screwed onto said sleeve frorn its oppositeends to ven a e h a d m mbe audib -sa d llihq tionhn apted retainl he Share viii-p ac sa deev h v clinaza conduitfor electric, wiresenteringthe fixture andlconw ductingt urrentto theytube, said end rnembershaving aa 1 Q Z ZPnQW i h shd t nsvers h la spac d elow etanw hand ad pted, 9 he ehgas dyh l andtu pe tion the socket related thereto, said shelf being provided, with a holethrpughwv hich wires may passI to, said light sockets.

LA lighting flxture as-ndeflnedflin claim} in, which; each end rne nber hasa transverse rib adjacent the lower, end of its said; end wall, said ribs defining, with, said shelves, recesses inQwhich, said, sockets are disposed.

5. A lightin flgiture, as" defined in clairn 4. which in cludes springchps carried by said shelves and engaging, said sockets to retain tthe sa rne in placeresting upon said, 

